Hello sustainable stars! I’m back at it again. I know it’s been a while but we’ve been busy here at the shop. Since my last post, we have welcomed some new staff to our team:
Trey (they/them) is a Sales Associate studying Consumer Behaviors and Fashion and Textiles at UW and has a hardcore commitment to sustainability through fashion. They have not purchased a clothing item outside of second hand markets in over two years! It’s not surprising that they have their sights set on a career in Sustainable Fashion after graduation.
Lauren (she/her), also a Sales Associate, who started her personal low-waste journey about three years ago and is now pursuing a masters degree in Sustainability Management with UW-Superior online. Lauren has plans to start a career in sustainability for healthcare in the future. She enjoys long bike rides, reading, and making up new flavors for her homemade kombucha (the latest success is mint and currant).
Bekah (she/her) is our new Social Media Coordinator and is currently working towards a degree in Digital Marketing. She is always finding new ways to make sustainable swaps in her everyday life. Though you may not see her around the shop much, you can find Bekah exploring the beautiful Wisconsin outdoors in a kayak or on a hiking trail in her free time!
Stop by and say hello sometime, they are all eager to learn and ready to assist you with all of your home, health and beauty needs.
I’ve been busy in my personal life as well with playing badminton, camping, moving out of my apartment and trying new local beers (like the Sweet Heat Pineapple at Starkweather Brewing). With all of my Summer activities, I have been sweating up a storm and making a mess of my clothes. When the sweat, grass or pizza grease stains (shout out Glass Nickel Pizza’s Sacre Bleu) start to appear on my classic white summer shirts, I don’t fret. I simply find some time and my faithful jar (from the free shelf at the back of the store) of Oxy Brightener & Spot Remover. I fill my bathroom sink with warm water, add my questionable looking shirts and throw in about 3 tablespoons of Oxy to the mix. I stir the shirts around and let sit for a few hours, agitating the water every once and a while. After a few hours are up, I throw the shirts in the wash and then hang outside to dry in the sunshine (nature’s highly effective bleach alternative). The results are crispy white t-shirts and a satisfied clean feeling. For extra ground in stains, I make a paste with the Oxy Brightener by adding a bit of water and brushing in small circles with an old toothbrush. I let the paste set for a while and rinse and repeat as necessary.
I am enthusiastic about Oxy Brightener’s powers (think Billy Mays levels of enthusiasm). I’ve even started adding a tablespoon to my laundry loads as a color safe clean booster. You can use it as a general household cleaner for lifting stains from old coffee mugs or countertops. Just mix 1 Tablespoon of Oxygen Brightener with 8 ounces of warm water, apply to stains, let sit and rinse.
I hope that you have been enjoying Summer. On a rainy day such as today, I am looking forward to heading home and watching Nathan Fielder’s latest boundary pushing program, The Rehearsal. Did anyone else catch the HBO Green logo in the credits of the show? I’m doing research on how Heidi Kindberg, Director of Sustainability at HBO & HBO Max is managing sustainable productions and found a video of her in conversation with Mustafa Santiago Ali, Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate and Community Revitalization at the National Wildlife Federation, Melissa Sun, Director of Entertainment Partnerships for the Sierra Club and Cynthia Littleton, Business Editor for Variety at the Hollywood Digital Climate Summit in 2020. It’s an interesting watch if you dig sustainability, as I’m sure many of you do.
Sustainably Yours,
Hanna
